- Hoichi Kurisu--transformative spaces for spiritual and physical equilibrium.
- Takeo Uesugi--bright, flowing gardens that evoke joyful living.
- David Slawson--evocations of native place that fuse with the surrounding landscape.
- Shin Abe--dynamically balanced "visual stories" that produce meaning and comfort.
- Marc Keane--reflections on human connections with nature through the art of gardens.
Also included are essays on the designers and mini-essays by them about gardens in Japan which have most inspired their work, as well as commentaries by patrons and visitors to their North American gardens.